Sui Wenjing and Han Cong eye golden finish to home Olympics in pairs free skate: Preview

The final night of figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 is set to be one to watch.

Just 0.16 points separate the top two pairs after Friday (18 February)'s short program inside the Capital Indoor Stadium, with two-time world champions and PyeongChang 2018 silver medallists Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China setting a world record in the short to go into first.

It's deja vu from 2018, in fact, as the ROC's Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov sit second, scoring a 84.25 to the leader's 84.41.

Reigning world champions Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov will have to play catch-up as the ROC duo is in third place with a 82.76.

Sui/Han are looking to deliver a golden finish for home fans on the final day of full competition of these Winter Games. They plan a rare quadruple twist (overhead throw) in their free skate, something they say they've trained for years to be ready for this moment.

"Each competition is different, but this time the Olympics are held in Beijing and it's extremely difficult for us because it's held in our home country," Sui told reporters in her native Mandarin. "It empowers us to perform better. We are very proud of our level. ... [In the free skate] we will be showcasing a program of high difficulty."

Tarasova/Morozov would like redemption from a fourth-place finish in South Korea, as well. Meanwhile, Mishina/Galliamov have not lost a competition since becoming world champs - including setting a world record score at the European Championships last month.

China and the ROC make up the top five: Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii, the 2020 European champions, are fourth with a score of 78.59, while the No.2 Chinese team of Peng Cheng and Jin Yang are fifth with a 76.10.

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